The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-06-17
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE WHITE HOUSE DURING THE
PRESIDENTS ABSENCE.

THE WHITE HOUSE DURING THE
PRESIDENTS ABSENCE.
How Other Presidents Have Spent Their
vacations-Unfortunat Travels of Our
Executives GarfieId's Assassination.
Jackson's Nose Pulling.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, juno 3ss
The White House is as deserted during the
presidents absence as the catacombs. The
tread Of sightseers only now falls upon the
tiled floor of its grand vestibule, and the voice
Of the office seeker and the visiting statesman
is unheard. When called at the great white
palace this afternoon l found two solitary
women trying to peep through the wall OF
broken glass which separates the entrance
hall from the grand promenade corridor. The
east room has not visitor, and the shabby
stair carpet which, worn by the tread of
thousands of place hunters, leads to the room
of Col. Lamont, looks the shabbier for its
temporary disuse The old messenger who
sent from his post, and the colored man
whose cannon ball head bows you into the
private secretary's room was not to be seen.
The presidents room bore the same deserted
air, and the house reminded me Of those
have seen for rent "fully furnished" The
presidents desk was in complete order. His
papers had been carefully piled up, and his
great steel pen was laid ON the top OF
bundle of legal looking papers and his ink
stand was closed. Lamont's desk was in SIM
liar order, and the only striking feature that
nowR holds the place of his working hand
is a paper weight of glass through which
shines out the face of President Cleveland.
The eyes of this face are turned directly
toward Mr.. Henley, who presides over La
mont's room during his absence, and whose
mouth is as tightly closed as that of the God
dess of Silence. ***
President Cleveland is exceedingly fond of
the mountains He spent his vacations in
the Adirondacks when he was governor Of
New York, and his first vacation as president
was taken there Last year he chose the top
of the Alleghenies for the scene of his honey
moon, and now he has taken his wife to his
old camping ground to spend the anniversary
Of their marriage. A very pretty story was
of his earlier adventures while on one of his
gubernatorial vacations. Some Of the men
at the hotel where his party were stopping
shot doe and captured little fawn. which
they brought to the hotel There were sew
ernl in the party, and it was 6 question as to
whom the fawn belonged and as to what
should be done with it, The ladies of the
hotel were unanimously for setting the tren-
OF h,,tt tina oh
jected. 1t was finally decided to leave the
matter to Governor Cleveland. A sort Of
trial was then held and arguments for and
ernor Cleveland listened to the end and then
promptly said he would decide that the fawn
go free, and it was liberated.
80
Cleveland is the only president We have
had for many years who has taken his vaca-
tions in the mountains Washington went
to his home at Mount Vernon whenever he
could get an opportunity, and his visitors
during his stay there were SO numerous that
the milk of 100 cows was not enough to
supply his table. He apparently liked tray-
cling, and during his presidency he made q
tour of the south in white chariot with fine
horses He received an ovation everywhere
and he was always well treated. He made
also tour of the eastern states, but would
not go into Rhode Island, and John Hancock,
the governor of Massachusetts, insulted him
by refusing to call upon him when he first
came to Boston. He stayed at his own house
and said that he was as big as Washington,
who was nothing more than the chief of
confederation of states, while he himself was
the chief of a state He finally called upon
the president when the citizens of Boston
cried SHANE" and made him do so. Jeffer-
SON, Madison and Monroe took their vaca-
tions by going to their homes, which were in
Virginia and not far away. And the two
Adamses went to Quincy, near Boston An
drew Jackson used to go down the Potomac
with Amos Kendall and spend week at
time fishing from pile of rocks in the center
of Hampton Roads, which is now known as
Fort Wool or the "Trip Raps," and John
Tyler owned little country house on
the banks of little lake near
Fortress Monroe. Buchanan sometimes left
Washington for Wheatland, his country
home near Lancaster, Pa, and President
Lincoln was too busy during his presidency to
get much farther away from Washington
than the Soldiers Home cottage. which he
occupied during the summers of the war
Grant liked the seaside, and he was born
traveller He went to Long Branch often
during his presidency, and Arthur did like
wise. **4 .ir
Garfield was just starting for Long Branch
when he was assassiIiated by Guiteau in the
depot here, and it is remarkable that the
presidents in our past who have Travelled dur
ing their administrations have met with
trouble during their trips. Andrew jackson
received the greatest insult Of his life when he
was on the way to lay the corner stone of the
n nument to the mother of Washington at
Fredericksburg, Va. The steamer in which
he left Washington stopped at Alexandria.
and during the wait discharged naval lieu
tenant rushed into the cabin and thrusting
lis hand into the presidents face violently
I ,lled his nose The mans name was RAN
|, ,!nh, and his friends hurried him away be-
i re- Jackson could retaliate. During his trip
10 the north President jackson narrowly
escaped death from the breaking down of
i,ige in New York city, and his horse took
fright on Broadway and would have thrown
Kim had he not been al excellent rider. On
another occasion the wadding Of q cannon
came within @ few inches Of singeing his
stiff white hair, and, on the whole, his,
famous trip was full of accidents. John Ty-
Ter came near being blown to pieces during
the excursion which he, in company with his
cabinet and others, made down the Potomac
on the Princeton. The trip was for the test
ing of new gun. The gun burst and killed
two members of the cabinet and also Mr.
Gardner, who had two very pretty daughters
with him on board. 1t is said that Tyler
caught one of these daughters in his arms
when she was about to faint away and that
here begun the love which afterwards caused
him to marry her. - s f.7 ~
Andrew johnson was another president
who got no good from travelling. His swing
around the circle helped to defeat his nomina-
ton and it did him more harm than good
Arthur, though he travelled q great deal dur
ing his term and fished In one part Of the
country or the other every summer, lost his
health in Florida and came near dying there, /,
though the news from the White House con-
tradicted this statement.
.*x
The National drill has left q great deal or
money in Washington. and the same is true
of every entertainment which the capital
gives. And Just here want to counteract
tie idea that Washington cannot grow, be
cause it has no smoky rolling mills Wash
ington city grows and feeds ON its sight
seers, as other cities do on manufacto-
ries, and the supply here in this regard is just